Fan Recaps and Comments:

Most excellent kick off to the new tour. They have completely changed the stage set-up. After 25 years, Linnell is now on the left! Marty's regular kit is all the way to the left, then Danny. Linnell's keybord is just left of center. In the center back is a raised platform for Ralph Carney and all his horns. Then Flans. Dan is on the right. He has his own keyboard now, in the back right behind Marty's new electric drum kit. All very disorienting.

For The Lab they have set up a camera on top of the bass drum for the electric kit which is itself on top of a big box. The camera displays on the projector screen behind the drums and Dan's keyboard. The Johns have brand new sock-like hand puppets who sang both of The Lab songs with the Johns partially hiding behind the drum. Marty played a bell set-up from the middle of the stage very stoicly. The camera switched between showing the puppets and being turned around to show the audience. According to the setlist the segment was supposed to be much longer but they cut it short and did the other songs from their normal stage positions. The whole thing was pretty hysterical.

Also the new confetti machine blows out WAY more confetti, about 50lbs according to a tech after the show. A ton of it landed on stage but there was enough on the floor to go wading in. Awesome! BlueCanary